Tool



H. B. MYERS ET AL TOOL;

March 3, 1942.

Filed Oct, 2, 1940 N NW inventor HRBEAT B. MYERS ARsBER/v DA v/s Gttoirneg arm Patented Mar. 3, 1942 TOOL Herbert B. Myers and Arsbern Davis, Akron, Ohio, assignors to Snap-Grip Products, Inc., Akron Ohio, a corporation Application October 2, 1940, Serial No. 359,396

Claims.

This invention relates to a tool for removing an annular member from a surrounding casing,

and more particularly, is concerned with a tool for facilitating the removal of a grease retaining ring, bearing race and/or bearing cone from an automobile axle housing or hub.

Heretofore, the operation of removing a bearing from a front or rear wheel housing or hub on a motor vehicle for repair, grease repacking and the like, has been bothersome and inconvenient because an operator attempts to use standard tools, such as a screw driver bar, hammer and similar tools for the job. Not only has the operation been inconvenient and time-consuming but the operator is liable to damage the parts which are removed unless more than ordinary care and skill is exercised. Further, the operator often loses control of the parts and drops them on the floor or ground Where they may pick up dirt.

It is the general object of our invention to avoid and overcome the foregoing and other disadvantages and difiiculties of prior art practices by the provision of a relatively inexpensive and long-wearing tool which can be quickly operated by the ordinary workman to remove'without damage and without falling an annular member from a surrounding housing.

Another object of our invention is to provide an expanding gripper tool which can be instantly engaged in diametrically balanced relation with the inside of a bearing race, cone, grease retainer or similar member, and which can then be struck with a hammer to move the tool longitudinally in either direction to push or to pull the engaged object out of a surrounding member.

Another object of our invention is the provision of a mechanism for removing bearings and the like and including a pair of drop-forged gripping members resiliently held in spaced apart,

opposed, and oppositely facing position and having a bearing-receiving or ring-receiving groove therein, and having pushing shoulders and pull ing shoulders thereon.

Another object of our invention is to provide a tool of the type described wherein a dropforged handle is provided with outwardly diverging flat spring arms at one end, each arm having a drop-forged gripping member secured to its outer end.

The foregoing and other objects of our invention are achieved by the provision of a tool including a handle, means on the handle whereby it can be driven with a hammer in either direction along its axis, a pair of fiat spring fingers extending outwardly from one end of the handle and forming an angle of less than about thirty degrees with each other, a gripping member secured to the outside of the end of each spring finger, said gripping members together having a substantially round shape in cross section when the spring fingers are pressed together. The gripping members are usually formed with tapered outer ends, and two pulling and one pushing shoulders on each member, the pushing shoulder and one pulling shoulder being opposed to each other and defining a relatively wide groove between them.

For a better understanding of our invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawing wherein Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an embodiment 'of our invention and incorporating the principles thereof; Fig. 2 is a plan View of the tool shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line l1lIII of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view through a wheel hub and on reduced scale and illustrating one manner of using the tool.

In the drawing the numeral l0 indicates, as a whole, a handle usually made of drop-forged or other strong and long-wearing steel, and including an integral laterally-offset shoulder l2 positioned at one end of the handle. The end of the handle l0 remote from the shoulder i2 is appropriately recessed on opposite sides to receive the ends of flat spring fingers [4 which are conveniently made from hot-rolled, fiat steel wire, full hard-tempered and thereafter stamped to the'shape and formed with the slightly bent ends as shown. The ends of the spring fingers 14 may be secured to the handle Ill in any suitable man ner, but preferably by rivets IS. The spring fingers I4 extend outwardly from the handle I!) at a diverging angle, usually less than thirty degrees and most generally at an angle of between about seven and about twenty degrees, and ordinarily about'fifteen degrees.

The ends l8 of the spring fingers l4 remote from the handle ID are bent slightly so that they are substantially parallel to each other. A gripping member, indicated as a whole by the numeral 2B, is mounted on the outside of the end [8 of each spring finger l4 so that'the gripping members 20 together form a pair of opposed but outwardly facing gripping means. Preferably, each gripping member is recessed to receive the end [8 of the spring finger l4 and the parts are secured together in any suitable way but preferably by rivets 22, as shown.

The gripping members 20 are preferably dropforged steel, but, of course, can be made from any strong long-wearing steel. Each member is substantially half round in cross-section, as best seen in Fig. 3, so that when the spring fingers 14 are pressed together the gripping members 20 together form a substantially round assembly which facilitates threading or moving them inside an annular member to be engaged. For like reasons, the outer ends of the gripping members are curve-tapered, as at 24, and the inner ends are formed with a tapered boss 26 which not only strengthens the assembly but acts to facilitate engagement and disengagement of the gripping members with the annular member engaged.

Each gripping member 20 is formed with a groove 30 on its outer surface and the groove is sufficiently wide and deep to receive and hold a bearing ring, race, grease retainer, or other annular member of up to a desired size. The

groove :30 provides a pushing shoulderZ and a pulling shoulder 34 usually of somewhat less height. A pulling shoulder 35 of greater height and strength and substantially equal to the shoulder :32 is provided adjacent the boss li-as clearly shown in Fig.2 of the drawing.

'In the operation of the tool to remove, for-example, a bearing race 40 from a hub 42 of a wheel (see Fig. 4), the operator squeezes the spring fingers l4 together and threads or inserts the gripping members inside the race until either the shoulders 34 or the shoulders 36 are behind the race. Thereupon, the spring finger M are released and the gripping members move out into engagement with the raceas shown in Fig.4. In this figure, the shoulders 34 are shown as engaging the race) although it should-be understood that these shoulders are only for a light pull. If a heavy pull is required the heavier shoulders-3'6 are engaged with the annular member.

Now, the shoulder IZ of the tool is'struck with a hammer in the direction of the arrow in Fig.4 to slide the race 4!! out of the hub. :It will be recognized that the race 4!] isgripped tightly by the tool which presents the race :from dropping on the floor. Also, the force applied .by'the tool to the race is at diametrically balanced points which can be readily changed circumferentially so that the race or other annularmember is not damaged.

In a similar manner, our improved 'tool :can be used to push an annular'member from a surrounding housing and in this case theoperation is the same as before except that the end of:.the

handle ll! adjacent the shoulder I2 is struck'with a hammer in a direction opposite to the arrow shown in Fig. 4. The shoulders :32:during the pushing operation engage with the annular member to be removed and as before the annular member is held by the tool after removal.

From the foregoing, it will be seen'thatthe objects of our invention have been achievedby the provision of a strong, relatively-inexpensive, and easily operated tool which can :be quickly operated to remove with either a push'ora pull substantially any annular orshouldered member from a surrounding casing or housing. Our-tool can be made in any of a plurality of sizes to.:best handle a given set of operations, but isiconveniently made about fourteen inches long-and so that it will engage hearings or thelike from between about one and one-quarter inches to about two and one-half inches in inside diameter and up to about one and one-half inches :in length. A tool of this size will-handle substan- 'or thereby, but that the scope of our invention is defined in the appended claims.

'Weclaim:

1..A tool for removing an annular member from a surrounding housing and comprising a drop-forged handle, an integral, laterally-01T- set shoulder adjacent one end of the handle, a pair of spring steel fingers secured in opposed relationon opposite sides of the other end of the handle and diverging outwardly at a relatively .small angle .to the axis of the handle, a pair of dropeforged, gripping members, one of which is secured to the outsideof the end of each spring finger so that they are in substantially parallel relation .to each other, each gripping member having a pair of longitudinallyespaced outwardly-directed shoulders, tapered ends and substantially a half-round shape in cross section. and with the fiat side of each member lying against its associatedspring finger, and rivets securing the. spring fingers to the gripping members and to the handle, said spring fingers being received in complementary recesses in the handle and gripping members.

2. A tool for removing an annular member from a surrounding housing and comprising a dropforged handle, an integral, laterally-offset shoulder on the handle, a pair of spring steel fingers secured in opposed relation on opposite sides -of oneendof the handle and diverging outwardly at a relatively small angle to the axis'of the handie, a pair of drop-forged, grippingmembers, one

of which is securedto the outside of the end of each spring finger, each gripping member having a pair of longitudinally-spaced outwardly-directed shoulders, a tapered outer end and substantially a half-round shape in cross section with the flat side ofeach' member lying against its associated spring finger, and means securing each spring finger to a gripping member and to the handle, said spring fingers being received in complementary recesses in the handle and gripping .members.

3. A tool for removing an annular -member from a surrounding housing and comprising a steelhandle, and integral, laterally-offset shoulderon the handle, a pair .of spring :steel fingers secured in opposed :relation on opposite sides of one end of the handle and diverging-outwardly at a relatively small angleto theaxis of the handle, and'a pair of steel gripping members, one of which is secured to,the outside .of the end of each spring finger, eachgripping'member having an outwardly-directed shoulder, a tapered outer end and substantially a'half-round shape in cross section with the fiat side-50f eachmember lying against its associated spring finger.

4. In combination in a tool, a handle, means on the handle whereby the handle can be driven with a-hammer in either direction along its aXis, a pair of flat springifingersextending outwardly ,from'oneendofzthe .handle and forming'an angle of less thanabout thirty degrees'w-ith each other,

a gripping member secured to the outside of the end of each spring finger, said gripping members together having a substantially round shape in cross section when the spring fingers are pressed together and having tapered outer ends, and two pulling and one pushing shoulders formed on each gripping member, the pushing and one pulling shoulder being opposed to each other and defining a relatively wide groove between them.

5. In combination in a tool, a handle, a pair of fiat spring fingers extending outwardly from one end of the handle and forming an angle of less than about thirty degrees with each other, a gripping means associated with the outside of the end of each spring finger, said gripping means together having a substantially round shape end .of the handle and forming an angle of less than about thirty degrees with each other, a gripping means associated with the outside of the end of each spring finger, two pulling and one pushing shoulders formed on each gripping means, the pushing and one pulling shoulder being opposed to each other and defining a relatively wide groove between them.

7. In combination in a tool, a handle, a pair of flat spring fingers extending outwardly from one end of the handle and forming an angle of less than about thirty degrees with each other, a gripping means associated with the outside of the end of each spring finger, and a pulling and a pushing shoulder formed on each gripping means, the pushing and the pulling shoulder being optogether, each gripping member having at wide groove between them.

posed to each other and defining a relatively 8. A tool including a cooperating pair of gripping members adapted to be moved away from each other and into engagement with the inner periphery of an annular ring or similar work, and supporting means resiliently positioning the gripping members in spaced apart relation, but permitting the gripping members to be moved together, each gripping member having at least one end tapered and a relatively wide groove formed near its middle portion and defining a pair of opposed work-contacting shoulders, and

another work contacting shoulder formed on each gripping member.

9. A tool including a cooperating pair of gripping members adapted to be moved away from each other and into engagement with the inner periphery of an annular ring or similar work, and supporting means resiliently positioning the gripping members in spaced-apart relation but permitting the gripping members to be moved least one end tapered and a relatively wide groove formed near its middle portion and defining a pair of opposed work-contacting shoulders.

10. A tool including a plurality of gripping means adapted to be moved away from each other and into engagement with the inner periphery of an annular ring or similar work, and supporting means associated with and resiliently positioning the gripping means in spaced-apart relation but permitting the gripping members to be moved together, each gripping means having a relatively wide groove formed near its middle portion and defining a pair of opposed work-contacting shoulders.

HERBERT B. MYERS. ARSBERN DAVIS. 

